Vigil set Sunday night to honor murder victim

March 8, 2013

Instead of a birthday celebration, members of Gregory Tyrone Pike's family are holding a candlelight vigil to honor his memory.
The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday at the Saline County Courthouse gazebo.
Community residents are invited to attend the event being held on the day that the murder victim would have turned 20.
Pike's mother, Tinka Robins, noted that her son's body was found Jan. 27 off River Road. He had died Jan. 16, authorities reported.
Saline County sheriff's deputies are continuing to investigate the death.
Lt. Mike Frost said Pike had been shot, but no details of the shooting have been released.
"That's part of the continuing investigation," Frost said.
No one has been arrested in the case, he said.
"We're still following leads," he added.
Sheriff Bruce Pennington said some "persons of interests have developed in the case," but he did not give further details.
"We're having the vigil to honor my son's memory and to make sure that justice is done," Robins said.
"The boys that did this are still walking around like they haven't done anything, but my child is dead," she said.
Shortly after Pike's body was found, Robins said she had an idea of who is responsible for the murder, but would be letting authorities handle the situation. She said the family will continue to put their faith in God and trust that justice will be served to those responsible.
Pike is survived by a young daughter, who is now about 8 months old.
Robins said previously that she believes the people who murdered her son are the same individuals who had attacked him a couple of weeks before his death.
After the attack, her son barely left their home, she said.
"They jumped on him a couple of weeks ago and threw him in a ditch," Robins said. "When a neighbor came outside, that is when they left him alone, got in their car and spun off."
Pike's body was found by two men traveling along a roadway in a leased hunting area off River Road in Haskell.
"He was a beautiful young man with a beautiful smile," Robins said of her son. "He was always smiling, showing his dimples, always sweet with a kind heart, and he always hated to see anyone be hurt. It hurt his heart to see anyone hurt, and now he's hurt.
"I want these people caught as soon as possible, and I want to be the first one to know that they are off the streets. Then I can get some rest. But I'm not going to rest until they're off the streets."
The victim's father, Gregory Pike Sr., added, "I just hope they find out who did this and let them stand before the court system for what they've done. I just hope and pray the Lord gets us through this."
Lt. Scotty Courtney, public information officer for the sheriff's office, said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information concerning the case is asked to call the Saline County Sheriff's Criminal Investigation Division at 501-303-5608.